Annexation of New Lands (College Board AP® US History)

Summary

Timeline

1867 - Acquisition of Alaska

1898 - Discovery of Gold in Alaska

Annexation of Hawaii

February 15, 1898 - Explosion of the USS Maine

April to Dec 1898 - The Spanish-American War

1899-1902 – Philippine-American War

During the late 19^th century, imperialism was on the rise across the globe. As Europe sought opportunities in East Asia and Africa, the United States focused on the Caribbean, South America, and the Pacific regions. The US was motivated by economic opportunities, military strategy, and the belief in its duty to spread democracy and civilization. This period of expansion would allow the United States to grow stronger as a world power. 

The idea of American expansion through imperialism was solidified as the United States acquired new territories. Driven by economic interests, strategic considerations, and public sentiment fueled by yellow journalism, the United States expanded its territory by annexing new lands.

Annexation of Alaska and Hawaii

Alaska

• Alaska was acquired by the United States in 1867

• It was purchased from Russia for $7.2 million 

• Secretary of State Howard Seward negotiated the acquisition 

• At the time, many Americans thought Alaska was a remote and barren region

  • This led critics to mock the purchase as “Seward’s Folly” or “Seward’s Icebox” because, at the time, the region had little or no value

• In 1898, gold was discovered in the region, which led to a gold rush

• Later, Alaska proved to be a critical base for the US military and trade operations

  • Especially during World War II and the Cold War

Hawaii

• By the mid-19th century, American missionaries, businessmen, and planters had established a strong presence in Hawaii

  • Particularly in the sugar industry

• The United States also saw Hawaii as a strong location for naval bases

• A group of American and European settlers, supported by US business interests, overthrew Queen Lili’uokalani

• Hawaii was annexed in1898, during the Spanish–American war

• The annexation was opposed by native Hawaiians

  • They petitioned the US government to restore their Queen which the American government did not do

  • The economic and military interests of the United States took precedence over this request

U.S.S. Maine, Spanish-American War, & Yellow Journalism

USS Maine

• Before US involvement, Cuban nationalists were fighting for independence from Spanish rule in Cuba

  • This disrupted American economic interests in Cuba

• By 1898, the United States had a strong naval presence in Cuba and Spanish-held Philippines to protect American economic interests

• On February 15, 1898, the battleship USS Maine exploded in Havana Harbor

  • Over 265 American sailors were killed in the explosion

  • Spain was accused of bombing the naval vessel; however, it was later determined to be an accident

  • This event is seen as the start of the Spanish–American War

Spanish–American War (1898)

• The Spanish–American War was a short war, lasting only eight months, from April to December 1898

• The war was primarily focused on Cuba, where Cuban nationalists wanted independence from Spanish rule

  • American businesses had invested in Cuban sugar plantations and trade, which were threatened by the instability in the region

  • The United States wanted to secure their economic interests and saw Spain’s decline as an opportunity

• Outcomes of the war:

  • Spain lost the war, and the United States emerged as a global power

  • Cuba gained independence, with restrictions under the Platt Amendment

    • This gave the US government the right to intervene and protect Cuba’s independence and American economic interests

  • The United States paid Spain $20 million to annex the Philippines

    • Emilio Aguinaldo, a Filipino nationalist, was a leader of a movement that sought independence for the Philippines from Spain

    • He initially fought alongside American forces against the Spanish

    • Later he led a resistance against the American forces and American annexation

Philippine-American War (1899-1902)

• The Philippine-American War followed the acquisition of the Philippines following the Spanish-American War

• Filipinos sought to establish themselves as an independent nation 

• Guerilla warfare destroyed many villages

• The U.S. won the war, and the Philippines became an American territory (Note the Philippines would win its independence in 1946)  

Yellow Journalism

• Yellow journalism is writing that includes sensationalism, exploitation, and exaggeration to increase readership and newspaper circulation

• Reporters used yellow journalism to exaggerate the events in Cuba done by the Spanish government against the Cuban people

  • This reporting led to public opinion calling for the American government to declare war on Spain 

• Prominent figures in yellow journalism include:

  • Joseph Pulitzer

    • Publisher of the New York World Pulitzer used yellow journalism writers to increase the profits of his newspaper

  • William Randolph Hearst

    • Hearst used similar tactics in his newspapers to sway public opinion 

Opposition to yellow journalism

• Adolph Ochs

  • Ochs was the publisher of the New York Times

  • He refused to use yellow journalism in his publications, instead emphasizing a focus on factual reporting